SriLankan Airlines

The service on my flight was excellent, I did fill in a review on the flight about a couple of the flight attendants, but realised everyone of the attendants worked very hard. Sri Lankan airlines must pick the best people available.

Colombo to Singapore return trip was good. Meals were ok and service is good. One flight was a little old and seats were stiff. But the the other flight 737-800 was excellent.

Sri Lanka Air’s (SLA) business class fares are a good deal. Usually business fares are 3x to 4x more than economy. Not so with SLA; my business fare was $356, slightly double that of economy. That gains you entry to the Serendib lounge at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport. While the lounge has seen better days, there’a good buffet and travelers are entitled to free showers and a 15-minute head massage. As I had a 7:50 am flight the lounge was not crowded. While SLA has newer Airbus 330-300 with individualized seats in business class, this flight makes do with the older 330-200 with adjoining seats. I lucked out and had both seats to myself. The breakfast menu offered an extensive tea selection and several meal entrees. What’s nice is SLA’s direct flight lands at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi (BKK) airport with speedy rail service into the city. Air Asia, while offering the cheapest economy fare, needs a stop over in Kuala Lumpur and lands at Don Muang (DMK) airport – less convenient than BKK. Given the near 4-hour flight, extensive breakfast selection, lounge access with free shower and spacious seating, it was well worth the business class fare.

Sri Lankan Airlines are one of the worst airlines I have flown with. I agree with other reviews that they refuse to handle complaints and deny any wrongdoing, choosing to blame the passenger instead. The check in staff at the airport are extremely rude. Although they can appear to be pleasant to foreign tourists, they are hostile to Sri Lankans and other Asians, in my experience and after discussions with many of my friends. On my last flight, I reached the check in desk in the queue one hour and 20 minutes before my flight, but they turned me away saying I was too late. This was despite the fact that they had already weighed my luggage and processed the passengers in front of me and subsequently the passengers behind me. The problem seemed to be that I had a voucher for extra baggage after trading in my Airmiles which the check in staff were not happy about. I had to purchase a new ticket for the following day at great expense and inconvenience. I contacted the customer complaints department in their office who were not interested in this issue or a refund. They falsely claimed that the reason I was denied boarding was due to a heavy suitcase (I transferred some items to another case) and late. However they could not explain if this was the case, why did they weigh my luggage and process others in the queue? I strongly recommend that you do not use Sri Lankan Airlines!!!

I had lost faith in airline travel until I recently flew SriLankan Airlines return from Dubai to Singapore. I was quite impressed with the ease of check-in, attentiveness of the cabin crew and the tasty meals that were served. The flight attendants wore a smile that made you feel comfortable and at ease to be flying with them. They were attentive and eager to assist with any questions. The aircraft was comfortable and the toilets were clean for duration of the trip. I was especially happy that they were quick to answer when their help was needed and very polite. It has been quite disappointing for me in recent years to see the decline in customer service, when travelling by air, regardless of the cabin flown. My worst experience has been with United and Turkish Airline. The cabin crew act like they are doing you a favor and God forbid you ask for assistance. It was really refreshing to see that some airlines still take a lot of pride in excellent customer service. Keep it up SriLankan Airlines. I hope you can eventually expand your destinations to include North America as I can guarantee you that you have one truly satisfied customer.